At age 11, Kirsten Dunst secured her breakout role as Claudia in Interview with the Vampire - with some help from her co-star Tom Cruise.
Based on Anne Rice's 1976 novel of the same name, the 1994 adaptation follows the mysterious Louis from Pointe du Lac (Brad Pitt) as he details his transformation into a vampire at the hands of Lestat de Lioncourt (Cruise). Rounding out the trio of vampires is Claudia, a young woman Lestat also turns into a member of his bloodsucking ranks.
Dunst would rack up more child acting credits, including Little Women and Jumanji, before transitioning to lead roles in teen films like Bring It On and The Virgin Suicides. After garnering further recognition with the first Spider-Man trilogy, Dunst would take on roles in acclaimed dramas such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Melancholy, as well as prestige series such as Fargo. She's now starring in Dog Power alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons, but it was her role as Claudia, a ruthless assassin trapped in the body of a seemingly angelic child, that kick-started the actress' career.
Now, Dunst tells how she landed her breakout role with the help of Tom Cruise. While auditioning for Interview with the Vampire, Cruise took a liking to the young actress, helping her secure the role of his prey turned protégé. Dunst remembers how Cruise advised her to tone down her appearance, making the tall 11-year-old look ever smaller and more innocent than her competition. Check out Dunst's recollection below:
'I was the tallest girl [at the last audition]. Then he had me bend my legs so I looked shorter when he picked me up. I felt like he was already like, 'I like this kid.''
The actress continues to reminisce about her experience on set, noting that her costars Cruise and Pitt went out of their way to lighten the mood during the somber production. ' They treated me so sweetly. I was a princess on that set,” says Dunst. 'The darkness has always been balanced by Brad's fart jokes.' With a new Interview with the Vampire series in the works at AMC, audiences can expect an updated cast of bloodsuckers, including a new Claudia.
